Instrument table



June 12, 1923.

I 1,458,562 L. R. TROMPETER INSTRUMENT TABLE Filed July 19, 1922 Sheets-Sheet 1 L .13. Wow 0.2212?- June 12, 1923.

1,458,562 L. R. TROMPETER INSTRUMENT TABLE Filed July 19, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 12, 1923.

1,458,562 L. R. TROMPETER INSTRUMENT TABLE Filed July 19, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 jwum ltoz 7 f5 Z '1? from 68522.2".

Patented June 12, 1923.

PATENT,

LEE R. TROMPETEB, or CEDAR, RAPIDS,'1\TEBRASKA.

INSTRUMENT TABLE.

, Application filed July-19, 1922. seriaino. 576,085.

7 '0 all whom it may concern/.- I

Be 1t known that; I, 'Lnn R. Tnomrn'rnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Boone and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and "useful Improvements in Instru ment Tables, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to folding tables and has for its object the provision of a table especially adapted for holding the instruments of veterinary surgeons so that they will be readily accessible during an operation. The invention seeks, to provide an instrument-supporting table, which may be readily collapsed into compact form when not in use and which may be easily set up for use and, whenso set up, will be firmly supported. Other incidental objects of the invention will appear in the course of the following description, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. j I I a The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- 'Figure 1 is a perspective view of the table set up for use;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1; f

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of thetable with parts in sectionon the line 33 of s Y I Fig. 4: is a perspective view of the table top in folded condition;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-. 5 of Fig. 4; I

Fig. 6 is an enlargeddetail section on the line 66 of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 7 is a perspective 'view of the pedestal or vsupport in folded condition, and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged end view of the sup portin the collapsed or folded condition.

The pedestal or support consists of a plurality offiat bars 1 which are arranged in pairs, the members of each pair being pivotally connected at points between their centers and their upperends and the pairs being arranged substantially in rectangular relation. The pivotal connections between the members of the pairs of bars may conveniently be hook bolts 2 or headed bolts 3 equipped with winged nuts 4 upon their outer ends. Spacing washers 5 are provided upon the bolts 3between the outer member of the support and the Wlnged nut ,4:,' and a locking brace 6 is fitted uponthe bolt at the outer side of said spacing washer whereby, when the nut4 is turned home, the bars 1 will be secured in a set position and the braces will be also secured against release. At their upper and lower ends, the bars 1 are pivotally secured to the branches of right angular brackets ,7 whereby the lower ends of meeting supporting members will be pivotally connected and the upper ends of meeting members will also be pivotally connected. It will be readily'noted that each bar has its lower end 'pivotally connected with the lower end of a bar atan upper end connected to the upper end of a 1.458562 1 OFFICE.

bar at the opposite side of the support so that all four sides of the supporting structure will be connected and separation of the parts will be prevented. The spreading and collapse of the support while it is'. in

use is further prevented by a'chain' 8 which extends between the hook boltsQ, as indicated in Fig. 1 and as will be readily under stood. i

The table top consists primarily of a plurality of sections 9 each of which consistsof a flat plate having flanges 10 along its side edges, four of such sections being illustrated in the accompanying drawings, The two inner sections are joined by hinges 11 se cured to their meeting flanges '10 at" the,"

lower edges thereof whereby the flanges may abut so as to bring the surfaces of the sections into the same planeand present a table top which will be flush throughout its area. The outer sections are eaclr connected to the'adjacentinner section by'links 12 having their ends pivotally connected to the end flanges 13 of the respective sections, as

shown clearly in Fig. 4; and indicated by the dotted lines in F ig. 2. The links 12 permit the outer sections to swing bodily about'the' respectively adjacent inner sections so [that abut whereby the outer sections will rest upon the inner sectionsl After the outer the fiat plates 9 of the said sections may sections have been thus folded-or "swung over onto the inner sections, the innersections may be swung-about theirhinge connections 11 so that fall the sections will be brought into compact form. as shown in Fig. 4. To maintain the table top sections "in the same plane while the table is in use, I provide elongated locking caps lt which are ofsuch dimensions that they may fit" snugly upon the ends of all the sections, as shown in Fig. 1, and thereby effectually prevent folding movement of the sections relative to each other. At their ends, the locking caps 1 1 are equipped with thumb bolts 15 threaded through the lower flanges of the capand adapted to engage the nuts 16 secured rigidly to the outermost sections of the table top at the corners of the same. After the caps have been fitted over the ends of the table top sections, the bolts 15 are turned home so that the caps will be securely clamped in position, aS will be readily understood, 7

On the under sides of the inner sections of the table top, I provide lugs or stop brackets 17 which are disposed in rectangular relation, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, and the up per ends ofthe bars 1 of the support are engaged against these stop lugs and in the angles defined by the same. and the adjacent flanges 10 of the table top. The table top 1s thus brought into proper position upon the support so as to be balanced thereon and spreading of the upper end of the support is positively prevented by the stop lugs and the flanges in an obvious manner. 7 Adjacent their inner side edges at the centers thereof, the outer table top sections are provided with depending brackets or lugs 18 and the upper ends of the braces 6 are fitted to these brackets and secured thereto by set bolts 19 so that these brace-s constitute additional means for imparting rigidity to the structure and aid the locking caps 14 in maintaining the sections of the table top in the proper alinement.-

I also provide upon the under sides of the inner sections of the table topspring clips 20 which are adapted to receive the locking caps 14: when the table is to be folded, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, so that the said caps will be housed within the table top sections and cannot be misplaced. It will be understood, of course, that the length of each table top section is somewhat greater than the combined widths of all the sections so that the locking caps which fit snugly upon the ends of the table top sections may be easily received within the sections when the table top is to be folded.

It is thought the manner of using the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. When the table is not in use, it presents two packages or bundles, one of which consists of the table top, as shown in Fig. 4, and the other consists of the folded'or collapsed support, as shown in Fig. 7. To set up the support for use, it is necessary merely to spread the upper end thereof until the support assumes the position and form shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The table top ist-hen opened into a flat condition by swinging the several sections about their pivotal connections in an obvious manner until they are in alinement as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, after which the locking caps let are fitted over the ends of the several sections, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and the set bolts 15 turned home. The top is then placed over the support with the stop lugs'17 at the outer sides of the several bars 1, after which the braces 6 are swung up and secured to the brackets 18, as will be readily understood. The table is then ready for use and will provide a sufficiently large area to hold all the instruments necessary for any operation. A reverse manipulation of the parts will, of course, return them to the collapsed condition and in the collapsed condition, the table may be very easily transported or may be stored in a very small space where it will not be apt to be knocked over or otherwise damaged.

My device is exceedingly simple in its construction and the arrangement of its parts and may be produced at a low cost. It may be easily manipulated so as to be set up for use and, when set up, will be firm and rigid so that it will not be easily tipped over, it being noted that, when set up, the pedestal or supporting structure defines an area at its lower end considerably greater than the area defined at its upper end and the area within the rectangular space defined by the lower end of the support will be substantially equal to the area of the table top.

I Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a folding table, a ing of a plurality of similar sections, a hinge connection between two of said sections, and links each pivoted at one end upon an end of one of the hingedly connected sections and at its opposite end upon the corresponding end of an adjacent sect-ion whereby all the sections may be swung about their 0011- nections to assume a position one above an- 7 other.

table top consistconnections between the sections, locking caps having closed ends adapted to fit snugly over the ends of all the sections and maintain them in the same plane and prevent relative lateral movement thereof, and means for detachably securing said caps to the sections.

3. In a folding table, a table top consist ing of a plurality of similar sections consisting of flat plates, pivotal connections between adjacent sections, locking caps adapted to fit over the ends of all the sections, and securing bolts carried by the ends of the said. caps and adapted to engage the outer sections of the table top whereby the sections will be held in the same plane.

4:. In a folding table, a table top consisting of a plurality of similar sections having depending flanges at their edges, pivotal connections between adjacent sections, locking caps adapted to fit snugly over the ends of all the sections, means for securing the caps on the ends of the sections when the sections are in alinement, and resilient clips on the under sides of some of the sections to receive the said locking caps when the table top is to be collapsed whereby the caps will be housed Within the flanges of the sections carrying the clips and between superposed sections.

5. In a folding table, the combination of a collapsible table top, dependingstop lugs on the under side of the top in rectangular relation, and a foldable support having its upper end engageable agalnst the under side of the table top and against said stop lugs within the rectangle defined by the lugs, and means for preventing collapse of the folding support.

6. In a folding table, the combination of a table top, lugs'on the underside of the table top in substantially rectangular relation and spaced from the edges of the table top, brackets on the under side of the said'top between the side edges of the top and pairs of saidlugs, a foldable support adapted to engage against the under side of the table top and bear against said lugs, means extending between opposite sides of the support for preventing collapse of the same, and braces secured at the lower ends to the sides of the support and at the upper ends to the said brackets.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LEE R. TROMPETER. 1,. 5. 

